The house was bought by Joseph Low in 1779; his daughter Elizabeth married Nathaniel Babson, and their son ended up inheriting the property.

The Green area gradually declined over the next two hundred years until the mid 20th century when the north-shore corridor of Washington Street was “improved” with the Grant Circle Rotary to accommodate traffic from the newly constructed dual-lane State Route 128 (east-west).

These two well preserved early dwellings, along with a barn, stone walls and other landscape features provide a unique and multi-faceted glimpse into the city's origins.

The Babson-Alling House is sited directly on the Grant Circle Rotary at the northeast corner of State Route 128 and Washington Street where it continues to face south.

It is buffered from the intrusion of constant automobile traffic by a tall wooden fence (modern) and a screen of white pines on the west.

The setting of open fields to the north and east is substantially more compatible, providing a sense of the surrounding landscape during the period of significance.

To the rear (N) the property abuts the White-Ellery House and an open field that is maintained in rough turf and edged by fieldstone walls and mature oaks.

The gambrel roof house with its bold modillion cornice and massive central chimney is clearly a product of mid 18th century Georgian sensibilities.

1930, a delicate Federal Revival portico was added to the main entry and the yard was planted with white pines (W) and weeping willows (S), presumably as screens to increased traffic and encroaching development.

The house now sits on a low rise defined by a granite block retaining wall which is a typical Federal period landscape device.

A split rail fence of unknown date occupies the southeast corner of the front lawn area and extends northward to the stone wall that separates the Babson-Alling property from the Poplar Street field.

The five by two bay house rises 2 and 1/2 stories from a high foundation of irregularly sized granite ashlar blocks, to an asphalt shingle gambrel roof with massive center chimney.

The main block is extended by an early three story, three bay east wing that takes the set-back half-depth form that is characteristic of the North Shore and is commonly referred to as a Beverly jog (Old-House Journal).

The main block is trimmed with narrow cornerboards and watertable, and a handsome boldly projecting modillion cornice on the front and rear elevations.

Those extant details probably date to the Federal period occupancy of Nathaniel and Elizabeth Low Babson, and appear to be contemporary with many of the landscape refinements.

The present delicate portico, with its swelled roof supported on slender paired Tuscan columns, is a well conceived Colonial Revival addition dated to the 1930s.

The two bay west elevation, where the two driveways terminate, is focused on a slightly off-center secondary entry that also appears to date to the Federal period.

In this case, the composition consists of an enclosed hip-roof porch detailed with paneled corner pilasters and oval windows on the side walls.

Given the above factors, historic landuse of the property and the small size (20,000 square feet) of the lot, a moderate potential exists for locating significant prehistoric survivals.

Historically, the property is associated with some of the city's leading businessmen and their families, and illustrates the changes in Gloucester's maritime industry over the last 250 years.

The Babson-Alling House possesses integrity of location, design, materials, setting, and workmanship, and meets Criteria A and C for listing in the National Register.

The second Joseph (1681-1750) was “engaged in trade, and became a citizen of considerable distinction, taking an active part in town-affairs;” he also served as a representative to the General Court for four years[4] (Babson: 56).

1740 construction of such a substantial, high style house here is remarkable, since the Town Green was clearly losing its status as the economic, religious, and social center of Gloucester at that time.

After Eliza Low Babson's death in 1862, the Babson-Alling House passed to their six children, the youngest of whom, Gustavus (1820-1897) bought the property from his siblings and stayed on to work the farm.

1858), who moved here after the death of her husband in 1894 and shared responsibility for maintaining the homestead with her brother Nathaniel; and (3) Elizabeth Low Babson (1859-1892), an artist and prominent member of the Cape Ann Literary and Historical Associate.

In 1934, the White Pine “Pencil Point Series”– a major documentary source for Colonial architecture– wrote that the house “contains one of the most beautiful all-paneled rooms in the State (and one of the two still remaining upon Cape Ann) with a most interesting staircase.”[8] (Whitehead, ed.

: 162) Little altered, this sophisticated Georgian building represents a carefully considered architectural evolution through the Colonial Revival period in the early 20th century.

The acreage associated with the house has been reduced, but adjacent open fields continue to give an impression reminiscent of its original, semi-rural setting.

Historical archaeological remains described above have the potential to further document Gloucester's original town center, once known as the Green, which currently survives at this and one other location.

Detailed analysis of occupational related features can provide important social, cultural, and economic data on inhabitants of the house including several slaves living there in the 18th century.